Cives, or chives. This is the smallest of all the onion kind, rising but a few inches high ; but its roots are perennial, and increase considerably into clusters, from which large tufts of slender awl shaped leaves issue, which arc the prin cipal part used, the roots never forming any bulb, at least not bigger than small peas, This is a hardy plant, which me rits a place in every garden. Its clusters of leaves rise early in spring, and are use ful both in salads and for culinary pur poses, in default of onions. The method of gathering it is, to cut the leaves off near the ground, by which a fresh supply is soon produced from the bottom ; or oc casionally the plants in clusters may be slipped quite to the root in separate lit tle plants, resembling young onions, and used as substitutes for tliem. It is easily increased by dividing the roots in spring, and planting eight or ten of them toge ther in holes, at six inches distance ; in this way, by autumn, they will multiplY into bunches of a large size.
Eschalot, or sehallot. This is a species of onion which is bulbous-rooted, and which increases g-reatly by off-sets, the largest of which are the proper parts of the plant for use. The bulbs are oblong, irregu lar, and seldom grow large ; as they gene rally increase into clusters, they do not swell like roots that grow singly. From the roots are produced many long, nar mw, infirm leaves in the spring, and whiclt ither in July or August, when the roots are full grown : they are then taken up, made dry, and housed, when they keep in good perfection till the follou ing spring.
Canada or tree-onion. This deserves to be cultivated, both as a curiosity in producing the onion at the top of the stalk, and for the use of the onions, es pecially for pickling, in which they are ex cellent, and superior in flavour to the common onion. It is perennial, and propa gated by planting the bulbs in spring or autumn. Either the root-hulb4, or those produced on the top of the stalk, being. planted in abed or beds of any good earth, in rows a foot asunder, six inches distance in each row,and two or three inches deep, +hey shoot up leaves and stalks in the spring and summer, and produce the bulbs for use in July or August ; and the root-bulbs remaining furnish a produc tion of top-bulbs, annually, in that sea.son ;
the root-bulb increasing by off-sets, may be taken up occasionally at the time the stem decays in autuinn ; or once in two or threc years, in order to separate the off.sets, and replant them when necessary.
The leek is the third division of the ge nus, the general characters of which are the same as those before described, and the species and varieties are, the pornini, or common leek, which may be said to be.an annual-biennial plant ; for although the roots often survive after perfecting seeds,yet the plants always attain perfec tion the same yearthey are sown, and the year afterwards run up to stalk, and be come unfit for use. The seed-stalk of this plant does not belly like that of the onion. The best of the varieties of this plant for general culture is the broad leaved or London leek, which attains a large growth, the neck acquiring a thick substance, in length from six to nine or ten inches, dividing upwards into many large, long, thick leaves, arranging them selves in somewhat:of a fan-shape. There are seven species indigenous in America, and described by Furst], viz : 1. A. neale, common in old fields. 2. A. fra grans, (which is A. inodorum of Ihatani cal Magazine 1129, and A. mutabile of Miebaux's fl. Ame..1 p. 195) found on the mountains of Virginia and Carolina. 3. A. striatum (which is A. ornithogaloides of Halt's fl. Car. 121, and ornithogahnn bivalve of Lin.) native in Virginia and Carolina. 4. A. angulosum,found on the banks of the Missoun by Lewis anti Nut tall. 5. A. triflorum, found on shady woods Ad high mountains of Pennsylva nia. 6.A. canadense, found in fields mid woods from Canada to Car011112. 7.%A. tricoccon, found in shady woocls, Penn. sylvania to Virginia.